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C. H WALLIS.

SAFETY STIRRUP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 8. 1919.

1 3 1 4, 992, Patented Sept. 2 1919.

UN TE STATES CLAUDE n. WALLIS, or MYRTIS, LOUISIANA;

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLAUDE H. WALLIS, a citizen of the United 1 States, residing at Myrtis, in the parish of Caddo, State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Stirrups; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

. This invention relates to new and useful improvements in stirrups and particularly to safety stirrups.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved stirrup from which the riders foot will become automatically disengaged when falling from or being thrown from the horses back.

1 Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction wherein there is a movable footpiece adapted to be automatically opened by the disengagement of a detent actuated by the foot of the rider when falling from the saddle.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved device of this character wherein the safety mechanism and other movable parts are so formed and arranged that the stirrup has the neat and trim appearance of the ordinary stirrup.

Other objects and advantages will be ap parent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the left stirrup in position for regular use.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the stirrup view from theright of Fig. 1, showing the a1 rangement of the detent and actuating parts therefor.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, the

arrangement of the releasing wedge being clearly shown.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one side of the stirrup showing the arrangement of the detent and the releasing means therefor.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 and 11 represent the side cheeks of the stirrup and 12 the bar connecting the upper ends thereof and for attachment of the stirrup strap.

Connected to the lower end of the cheek PATENT OFFICE.

SAFETY-STIRRUP;

p Specification of Letters Patent. Patented s ta, 1919, Application filed. March 8, 1919. Serial no. 231,4022. l

10 by means of the hinge 13, is the foot piece 14, the other end being engaged in abutting relation with the lower end of the cheek 11. In this latter end of the foot-- piece, and in the outer facethereof, there is formed a transverse inclined notch 15. On the member 11, above the lower end thereof there is hinged, by means of the loops 16, the detent spring 17, the lower end of which is formed with an arrow head for engagement in thenotch 15 saidhead being shown at 18. Thus when the head is engaged inthe notch the free end of the footpiece will be held in abutting relation with the'check 11, andsupport the wei ht of the rider. In the outer face of the lower end of the cheek 11 there is formed a transverse recess 19 the innerwall of which inclines longitudinally, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, at 20. A leaf spring 21 is secured to the check 11 above the upper end of the detent spring and bears thereagainst to normally urge the detent inwardly so that its head will engage in the notch 15. Disposed to slide longitudinally in the notch or recess 19 is a wedge member 22, which, when moved outwardly will press against the inner face of the detent spring and force the head out of the notch 15, thereby permitting the footpiece to swing downwardly freely.

Secured to the front edge face of the cheek 10, by means of the loop 23, is one end of an upwardly and forwardly extending yoke member 2a. The other end passes through a loop or eye 25 on the front edge face of the cheek 11 and is secured to the front or smaller end of the wedge member 22. The transverse portion of this yoke member extends between the cheeks 10 and 11, below the'bar 12, in position to be engaged and pulled toward said cheeks by the top of the foot of the rider when thrown from the animal. This movement of the yoke by the riders foot causes the outward sliding movement of the wedge 22 through the recess 19, with the result that the wedge pushes the detentspring outwardly so that its head 18 is disengaged from the notch 15, and the footpiece permitted to swing downwardly. This provides a clear opening betweenthe lower ends of the cheeks which prevents the riders foot from catching in any part of the stirrup, thereby saving the rider from being dragged by the animal. 1

Attention is called to the fact that the yoke member is resilient and rigidly attached at notch 15 and hold the footpiece in closed position.

What is claimed is: 1. A safety stirrup including side members, a footpiecfe hinged to one of the members and abutting the other member, the abutting end; of the footpiece having a notch, a detent carried by the abutting side member and engaging in said notch, resilient 1 means for holding the detent in the notch,

the last-named side member having a transverse recesshaving an inner longitudinally inclined wall, a releasing yoke carried by the stirrup, and a sliding wedge in the recess and connected with the yokefor movement against the detentto release the same from the footpiece when actuated by the riders foot.

2. A safety stirrup including a pair of side members, a footpiece hinged to the lower end of one of the side members and abutting the lower end of the other member, the free end of the footpiece having a notch in its outer face, a pivoted detent carried by the second side member and engaging in said notch to hold the footpiece in operative position, a spring on the said side member engaging the detent to urge the same into the notch, said side member having a transverse wedge recess, a foot releasing yoke carried by said side members and having one end portion mounted for pivotal movement, and a wedge slida'ble in the recess and connected to the said end portion of the yoke for engaging with the detent to release the same from the notch upon movement of the yoke by the riders foot.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

CLAUDE H. WALLIS.

Witnesses:

M. D. ERWIN, VVILLLE MORTON.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

' Washington, D. C. 

